Notes / Commercial Description:
**NOTE: This beer is now called "Brutal IPA" **
It has also been bottled as "Portland State IPA" (2010).

An Imperial bitter with exotic traditional floor malts, citrusy, hoppy flavor and stupendous hop aroma. Rogue brewmaster John Maier describes his Brutal IPA as a cross between a Very Extra Special Bitter and an Indian Pale Ale. Hedonistic!

Appearance - The beer pours a slightly hazy gold colour with a decent size frothy bright white head. I can see an average amount of carbonation. There is also some gorgeous lacing and the head lasted for a few minutes.

Smell - Hops, citrus zest herbal/floral notes, are the most noticeable. Also a biscuit like scent and a sugar sweetness.

Taste & Mouth - Mouth feel is just about perfect on this one, a decent amount of carbonation on the tongue. I'm not sure it lives up to its name; as I've had lots of other IPA's that were way more bitter than this one. It is far from brutal; the hop taste is actually moderate - and enjoyable. The hops give way to a citrus sweetness and biscuit/malt flavour, and then I was left with a bitter aftertaste.

Drink - I really enjoyed this beer, and I will keep my eyes peeled for more so I can stock up. It's a nice drinkable hoppy beer.

22oz Bomber with no freshness date. This one pours a dark orange color with a great frothy off-white head that has great retention. Pleasantly strong hop aroma comes from this one, citrus and floral with some malt lurking about. The aroma also is quite bitter and strong enough to smell even when the beer is on the table. Good hop flavoring stands out the most with some malt balancing it out. A light bitter finish that lingers about is quite pleasant. Medium body with plenty of carbonation. This a very smooth beer that would make a good session brew.

Pours slightly hazed light copper with a off-white head that leaves some lacing.

The smell is of light citrus with sweet grainy malt in the back.

The taste is citric with sweet malt backing. Can't say it's complex, but it is tasty. A good dose of hops with plenty of malt backing makes it bittersweet. A certain wheat-like crispness in the finish.

Smooth in a fuller side of medium body. Some chewiness to it.

Drinkable and enjoyable, despite a bit of rawness about it. This one fits the bill of a boosted-up bitter. A uniquely intense ESB.

I didn't find this brutal at all. Strong, sturdy, and bitter it is, but not brutal. Budweiser Chelada? Now you're talking brutal!

It's one of the most unique and interesting beers I've tried. It poured a hazy, tan color with a surprising amount of fizziness in my tulip with a slight foamy white head. For all that malt, really not the study head of foam and lacing I would expect. I have a weak nose, and had to strain a little to pick up some malty, floral aromas wafting up from the liquid. From this unassuming beginning, it was struck by its unique taste. Lots of biscuity malt, well balanced by lots of grassy, herbal hops. Did I detect a notes of taragon and grapefruit in there? As it warmed, the balance changed and the hops character got a little more bitter, but this is one of those brews that rifts on its flavor theme as it warms, rather than getting out of balanced as it warmed. It was enjoyable to warm the tulip in my hands a little and see what this guy would taste like next. It's not a smooth, easy drinking beer but gets good drinkability marks for that type of enjoyment.

OK bought in the 22 oz bomber..what else would it be in , :-).
After a fairly careful pour this beer still has a large frothy pure white head atop a dark orange , slighly hazy beer..nice to look at..but alas we must drink.
smell? well one word will suffice HOPS..spicy hops.
the taste while its brutally clear that this is a hop driven beer..there is a detectable undertone of the English malts..it keeps this monster together..but its clear hops dominate.
actually quite smooth and almost creamy on the tongue..though prickly at the end.
I am not a real "hophead" but i found this very drinkable.